May 1940 story
Hornet Squadron is reinforced in readiness to take part in the Battle of Britain. Gordon has been rendered eccentric and mentally unstable by grief, but he continues to fly combat missions. Among the new pilots are a Czech pilot named 'Haddy' Haducek, a Pole named 'Zab' Zabarnowski and a nervous Englishman Steele-Stebbing who Moggy chooses as his next victim for bullying. Hornet Squadron are soon in the thick of the action as the German air-force repeatedly attack South-East Britain. To his horror, Steele-Stebbing is ordered by Moggy to destroy an unarmed German rescue plane.
13 total · 1 choice · 4 major · 8 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | choice | The episode is set in the early part of the Second World War and tells the story of a squadron of Spitfire pilots as they take on the German Luftwaffe. Hornet Squadron, freshly recalled to England, prepared for what would come to be know in the annals of aeronautic warfare as the Battle of Britain. |
| coping with the death of a spouse | major | Gordon was consumed with grief upon being informed that his new bride had perished in a strafing run. He was a broken man from that point onward. |
| life in late modern Britain | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the Second World War. The story focuses on Hornet Squadron engaging the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| military related work | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the early stages of the Second World War. The story focuses on Hornet Squadron engaging the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| the horrors of war | major | A point of the story is to contrast the jovial pre-hostilities behavior of the Hornet Squadron heroes, and their hangers-ons, with the morally devastated and somber lot who remained alive some time after the Battle of Britain had begun in earnest. |
| atrocities of war | minor | Moggy ordered Steele-Stebbing to strafe some defenseless German pilots who were at sea in a rubber dingy. He then ordered Steele-Stebbing attack an unarmed German rescue plane. Moggy's actions were later condoned by a high ranking officer. |
| beards | minor | Gordon was told to shave off his aspirational stubble post-haste because they were "not in the Navy". |
| childish bullying | minor | Moggy singled out the new recruit Steele-Stebbing for bullying. Notably, Moggy gave him the demeaning new nickname "Amanda". |
| cowardice | minor | Instead of toughing it out with his squadron, Pip parachuted into the sea at the sight of the German Luftwaffe. |
| leadership | minor | Barton asserted himself as new leader of Hornet Squadron by ordering Gordon to keep himself clean-shaven and wear uniform when in the pub. |